Centrifugal compressor.



S. A. MOSS.

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR. APPLICATION min JAN. 25. 1915.

1 $9 5K", Patented Nov. 28, 1916. Fi L Iwvenmr; SanFor d fie i iosagUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANFORD A. MOSS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed January 25, 1915.

To all 1071 am it may concern.

Be it known that I, SANFORD A. Moss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new. and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Compressors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to centrifugal compressors andparticularly to means for preventing pulsation at light loads.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement forthis purpose.

Broadly, my invention comprises the provision of suitable valve means inboth the inlet and discharge conduits of a centrifugal compressor, inconnection with means for simultaneously operating them. By thisarrangement I am enabled to regulate the effective area of the inletconduit in accordance with that of the discharge conduit, and to closethe inlet conduit if the discharge conduit is closed.

My invention finds particular application in installations where asingle compressor, or a plurality of compressors operating in parallel,furnish air to a main blast conduit from which leads a series of branchblast pipes. Such an arrangement is found, for example, in connectionwith a gas producer plant where a plurality of producer units aresupplied with blast air from a common header which receives air from oneormore centrifugal compressors. In such apparatus it is often desirableto shut off completely one or more of the units and in accordance withmy invention I provide an arrangement wherein whenever any unit is shutoff the inlet to the compressor or compressors is throttled or theeffective area thereof diminished by a corresponding amount. To this endI preferably construct the inlet conduit of the compressor of a headerhaving a plurality of branches through which the air is drawn, andpreferably there will be as many branch inlet pipes as there are branchdischarge pipes. I then provide each branch inlet pipe and branchdischarge pipe with a suitable valve and connect the valves in thedischarge pipes each with a valve in an inlet pipe so that they will beoperated simultaneously. By this means it will be seen that whenever abranch discharge pipe is shut off, to disconnecta producer unit, forexample, one of the branch inlet pipes will also Specification ofLetters Patent. 3

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 4,154. r

be closed off. This means then that effective area of the inlet conduitof the compressor or compressors is always proportional to that of thedischarge conduit and pulsation will be effectively prevented.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an embodiment of myinvention in connection with a plurality of centrifugal compressorsconnected in parallel; Fig. 2

illustrates a second embodiment thereof, and

to the header or conduit 11. In each of these branch pipes is a suitablehand valve 12 and a suitable valve means as a butterfly valve 13. In thepresent instance three branch discharge pipes 7 are illustrated andthere are a corresponding number of branch inlet pipes. The valves 7 inthe discharge pipes are each connected to a valve 13, as through theoperating arms 14 and rods 15. By this arrangement whenever a rod 15ismoved to close one of the valves 7 the corresponding valve 13 will alsobe closed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown an arrangement similar to Fig. 1 in which asingle centrifugal compressor 20 is illustrated discharging into twobranch discharge pipes 21 and 22 and having two branch inlet pipes 23and 24. The arrangement of the valves is the same as in Fig. 1 and Ihave'accordingly applied the same reference numerals to correspondingparts.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the simplest'embodiment of my invention; '5. e. asingle centrifugal compressor 29 having a single inlet conduit 30 and asingle discharge conduit 31 in which are arranged the valve means 32 and33 connected for simultaneous operation by the arms 34 and 35, and rod36.

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention will beobvious without further explanation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative, and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination with acentrifugal compressor having inlet and discharge conduits, ofthrottling valve means in each conduit for throttling the flowtherethrough, and means for simultaneously operating them.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acentrifugal compressor having inlet and discharge conduits, of valvemeans in each conduit, and means for simultaneously operating them inthe same sense.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acentrifugal compressor having abranched inlet conduit and a dischargeconduit, of valve means in each branch of the inlet conduit, and in thedischarge conduit, and means for simultaneously operating said valvemeans in the same sense.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acentrifugal compressor having an inlet conduit and a branched dischargeconduit, of valve means in the inlet conduit and in each branch of thedischarge conduit, and means for simultaneously operating them in thesame sense.

In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with acentrifugal compressor having .a branched inlet conduit and a brancheddischarge conduit, of valve means in each of said branches, and anoperative connection between a valve means in a discharge conduit and avalve means in an llfilet conduit for simultaneously operating t em.

6. The combination with a centrifugal compressor having a dischargeconduit with a plurality of branches, of an inlet conduit having anequal number of branches, valve means in each of said branches, andmeans for simultaneously operating the valve means in a branch of eachconduit.

7. The combination with a plurality of centrifugal compressorsdischarging into a common main from which branches lead to a pluralityof points of consumption, of a common inlet conduit for said compressorshaving a plurality of branches, valves in each of the discharge branchesand inlet branches, and means connecting the valves in the dischargebranches with the valves in the inlet branches for operating themsimultaneously.

8. The combination with a plurality of centrifugal compressorsdischarging into a common main from which branch pipes lead to aplurality of points of consumption, of a common inlet conduit for saidcompressors having a plurality of branch pipes, a valve in eachdischarge branch pipe, a valve in each inlet branch pipe, and meansconnecting the valves in the discharge branch pipes, each with a valvein an inlet branch pipe for operating them simultaneously.

9. The combination with a centrifugal compressor having a dischargeconduit with a plurality of branches, of an inlet conduit having anequal number of branches, valves in each of said branches, and means forsimultaneously operating said valves.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day ofJanuary,

' SANFORD A. MOSS. Witnesses: 1 1

JOHN A. MCMANUS, J11, WALTER F. BELDING.

